More support for the repeal of DADT

Barack Obama campaigned on many issues. One of them was the repeal of the "Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell" policy of the US military. After winning the election, it was even noted in The Obama-Biden Plan.

Last year I noted that already more than 100 retired generals and admirals have called for the repeal of DADT.

A few months later, in April, I wrote about a Quinnipiac University national poll that showed American voters supports the repeal of DADT 56% - 37%.

But still the administration has put it on the back burner.

Now VoteVets.org is reporting that three former military chaplains support the repeal of DADT.

Three former military chaplains today announced their support for a full repeal of the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, and addressed implementation concerns in a Q&A released publicly by VoteVets.org.

In explaining how they addressed implementation issues, Charles D. Camp, Chaplain (Colonel), USA (Ret.), John F. Gundlach, CAPT, CHC, USN (Ret.), and Jerry Rhyne, Chaplain (Colonel), USAF (Ret.) wrote, "In preparing these responses we were mindful of the primary mission of the Armed Forces to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. We consulted with fellow Chaplains as well as veterans representing all the Services in all ranks and ratings from E-1 through O-8. We also spoke with numerous combat veterans including those who recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan."

Among the arguments the chaplains make is that during the first Gulf War, President George H.W. Bush issued a ‘stop loss' order, at which time no gay and lesbian troops were discharged, and it had no effect on morale, good order, or discipline, and a recently released essay in the 2009 Joint Forces Quarterly similarly found a repeal of the law would not affect morale.

Frankly, I have no idea why President Obama is waiting. There is military support for repeal, popular civilian support, and now military chaplain support.

Especially when it looks like Obama plans to send more troops to Afghanistan. Wouldn't it behoove him to actually have a larger pool of citizens from which to recruit potential soldiers?

Maybe people need to make their voices louder.

Please think about taking a minute or two to contact President Obama via the White House website and let him know you urge him to repeal this bigoted military policy.